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Going down the stairs from Mindaugo street to the old town, near the MO Museum, on the way you will come across the old Vilnius well field, which from 1501 to 1914 supplied the city with water from the ancient Vingri springs. These springs are hidden underground today, and the area near the former well field is covered in bushes, furnished with cars and garbage containers, but the image of the area is expected to change dramatically in the coming years. The Vilnius city municipality administration has signed a contract with the Conresta company, which will start the renovation of the territory in the spring, after the completion of the exploratory archaeological research and the preparation of a working project.
The works planned during the execution of the contract works are one of the measures aimed at improving the attractiveness of the city of Vilnius, in terms of residential and investment environment, and specifically – in Naujamiestis adjacent to the old town and its connections.
The project includes the installation of sidewalks, stairs, viewpoints, green areas, playgrounds, a memorial, the management of the existing worn-out infrastructure and the installation of the necessary engineering and rainwater networks. Lighting, benches and other small architectural elements will also be installed.
All these works will be carried out by installing a pedestrian alley from Vingrių Street to the MO Museum. Currently, the area is noisy with passing cars, and the existing parking lot is parked in a chaotic manner, making it difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to move. With the installation of a public space here, the car parks will cease to exist, and now the invisible springs of Vingri will be diverted through newly formed waterfalls, returning the forgotten historical character to the area and making it more attractive to pedestrians.
In the expressive relief, at the foot of the stairs that go from Mindaugas to Vingrių Street, there will be an observation platform. Before descending into the Old Town, it will be worth stopping and looking at the old rooftops of Vilnius.
In the area at the entrance to the MO Museum, the architects managed to preserve the existing mature acacias by integrating them into the overall composition of the space. A terrace with waterfalls will be formed near the existing sculpture “Water Lilies” (author Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė). The space formed alongside the MO Museum is expected to be complemented with artistic installations and accents on aquatic themes, thus further strengthening the local identity and emphasizing historical value.
The project gives priority to pedestrians, therefore, according to the architects of SĮ “Vilniaus planas”, adequate measures are provided for the organization of traffic on the territory: it is planned to install an overhanging crossing on Vingrių street, the columns of partition are designed to ensure traffic safety. Pedestrians will be able to comfortably reach Pylimo Street from Vingriai without being disturbed by cars. People with special needs will be able to access the different heights of the space by other ways outside the project.
To ensure pedestrian safety, it is also planned to install dividing lines near sidewalks, which will limit parking in the pedestrian zone. The abolition of car parks is expected to increase the space for outdoor cafes, and the existing vegetation will be preserved and protected from the sun.
The parking spaces that will have to be abandoned during the construction of the pedestrian alley will be moved to the nearest streets, first of all, Vingrių Street.
Archaeological investigations are currently being carried out in the area and in the near future it is planned to manage underground engineering networks, whose territory is very extensive. All of them will be rebuilt, changing the routes and providing more opportunities for remodeling the territory and leaving enough space for vegetation to grow. Currently, there is no integrated greenery in the territory, so it is proposed to form it by preserving the existing ones and planting new species of trees and shrubs.
After the general assessment of the territory, the removal of trees with dangerous slopes, dead wood (15 units in total of 8 cm in diameter) and trees with no growth prospects are foreseen. Five trees will be removed to form a new deck and ground level. The remaining vegetation will be pruned into crowns. New vegetation types have been selected, mainly taking into account the Lithuanian climate and resistance to urban areas. 12 conifers, 23 deciduous, more than 400 shrubs are expected. Among other species, pendulum willow, Himalayan birch, rodent hawthorn and about 3,000 herbaceous plants will appear here. Landscaping work is already underway.
The new pedestrian alley is expected to become a convenient and attractive connection between the Old City and the New City.
The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The works contract with the UAB Conresta was signed in 2020. August 25 Construction period 8 months. from the date of entry into force of the contract. The value of the contract is 1.4 million. euros with VAT.
